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The higher commander who goes to Field Service Regulations for tactical guidance inspires about as much confidence as the doctor who turns to a medical dictionary for his diagnosis.

— Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell Generals and Generalship (1939)

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More quotes by Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell

No amount of study or learning will make a man a leader unless he has the natural qualities of one.

Generals and Generalship (1939)

I can only say that I have always believed in doing everything possible in war to mystify and mislead one’s opponent….

It is in peace that regulations and routine become important and that the qualities of boldness and originality are cramped.

Generals and Generalship (1939)

A bold general may be lucky, but no general can be lucky unless he is bold. The general who allows himself to be bound and hampered by regulations is unlikely to win a battle.

Generals and Generalship (1939)

A general may succeed for some time in persuading his superiors that he is a good commander: he will never persuade his army that he is a good commander unless he has the real qualities of one.

Generals and Generalship (1939)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.